Water heating system



Aug 4 1953` E. B. MlLLER 2,647,370

WATER HEATING SYSTEM Filed Jan. s1, 195o z5 fs" INVENTOR E. B. Mf//er BY@bu/vw ATTORNEY Patented ug. 4, 1953 WATER HEATING SYSTEM Ernest B.Miller, Houston, Tex., assignorto Jefferson Lake- Sulphur Company, NewOrleans, La., a corporation of New Jerseyv Application January 31, 1950,Serial No.,14l.,431 f This invention relates to appartus for heatingwater and, among other objects, aims to provide economical means forheating large quantities of water for use in mining sulphur and in othercommercial operations.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide simplied apparatusemploying submerged combustion burners having enormous water heatingcapacity in proportion to the size of the equipment, so that it can'bedismantled and transported from one location to another at a minimumexpense. The idea is to eliminate the expenseof setting up large,stationary boilers and other equipment customarily employed for heatingwater used in mining sulphur, and for other purposes.

Another aim of the invention is to provide greatly improved equipmentfor heating large quantities of water, wherein a submerged combustionburner is employed to heat the water under pressure and the products ofcombustion or ue gases used to drive a gas turbine or motor and acompressor which supplies air to the burner.` Also, the idea is to usethe exhaust gas from the turbine and flue gas to preheat feed watersupplied to the system. f

Other aims and advantages of the invention will appear in thespecification when considered in connection withthe accompanyingdrawing, wherein:

The figure is a diagrammatic view or schematic diagram of apparatusembodying the invention.

Referring now particularly to the illustrated apparatus, the'inventionprovides a submerged combustion burner for heating water `underpressure, means for re-heating the ilue gas from the burner to asufficient temperature to drive a gas turbine which operates an aircompressor to supply air to the submerged burner and the re-heater, andmeans for pre-heating the feed water by direct heat exchange with theflue gas from the re-heater and the exhaust gas from the turbine.

In the illustrated example, feed water is supplied by a pipe line Ihaving a spray head II in the upper portion of a vertical pre-heating oreconomizer tank I2 which has an open outlet ilue I3 at its upper end.The water level in the -lower portion of the tank I2 may be maintainedby a control valve operated by a oat I4.

The pre-heated water is delivered from the bottom of the economizer tankI2 through a pipe I5 by a pump I6 to a spray head I1 in a verticalheating tank I8, wherein the water is maintained 3 Claims. (Cl.(5U-39.57)

under pressure. The vwater level may -be maintained in the lower portionof this tank by 'a oat valve I9 which controls-the discharge-to adelivery pipe 20 leading to a point 0f use. However, the discharge pipevmay be connected to the tank I8 at the desired water level, in whichcase the float valve will be omitted.

The water in the tank I8 is heated by `a submerged gas burner 2I, whichis supplied with air under pressure through a conduit 22, gas beingdelivered through a valved gas line 23. The gas is adapted to be ignitedin a well known manner. For convenience, it is shown as being ignited bya pilot burner 24 within a housing 25. Flames from the burner 2I arequenched by the water in the bottom portion of the tank I8, and the hotproducts of combustion discharge upwardly through the water spray fromthe spray head Il; thence, through a flue 26 mote from the inlet flue 26and is supplied withl gas through a pipe Stand air through a conduit 3I.The air conduit is preferably connected to the main air conduit 22. There-heater is preferably provided with a series of staggered bailes I32to cause the hot gases to `pass therethrough in a zig-zagpath. The fluegas from the re-heater is discharged through an outlet flue or conduit33 to the economizer tank I2,. justabove the water level, so `that itcomes inr direct heat exchanging contact with the water spray from thehead I I.

The re-heated iiue gas is delivered through a conduit 34 connected todrive a motor, preferably in the form' of a gas turbine 35, which drivesan air compressor 36 connected to deliver combustion supporting air tothe main air conduit 22. 0f course, the turbine may be used to drive thewater pump I6 and other auxiliary equipment. Exhaust gas from theturbine is discharged through an exhaust conduit 38 to the economizertank above the water level therein, also to exchange its heat directlywith the water sprays.

Obviously, the gas turbine may be started by an ordinary electric motor,or a gas engine, when steam is not available. In this example, theturbine is of the well known twin or mixed i'luid type adapted to bestarted by steam and then 3 driven by the hot nue gas. Steam is suppliedfor starting it through a steam conduit 31. The steam will be cut off assoon as the hot flue gas is available.

In the operation of the system for mining sulphur, for example, the feedWater is pre-heated to a temperature of about 150 F. to 160 F. Thepressure in the heating tank is maintained at about 45'to 60 pounds gageby the aircompressor, so that the water is heated to a temperature ofabout 300 F. to 310 F. The flue gas from the heating tank is reheated toa temperature of 800" F. to 1000" F. for driving the turbine. The hotwater is discharged from the heater under vits own pressure anddelivered through the usual insulated pipe lines. It will be understoodthat the Water may be heated to any desiredtemper- Y ature in a systemof this type. The nal temperature will depend upon the pressure in thetanks, the capacity of the submerged burners, and the rate-of iow ofthefwater through the system.

` From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the inventionprovides a heating system of maximum -thermal eiiiciency. Moreover, theapparatus can easilybe -dismantled and transported from one location toanother and set up -at a minimum of` expense.

Obviously, theinvention is not restricted to the particular embodimentthereof herein shown and described. Moreover, itis not indispensiblethat all of the -featuresof the invention be used conjointly, since theymay be employed advantageously in various combinations andsub-combinations.

What 'is claimed is:

1. A water heatingl system of the character described, comprising incombination, a water heating tank; a conduit connected to supply Waterunder pressure to the tank; a discharge conduit connected tothe bottomportion of the tank; means for maintaining a, Water level in the bottomportion of the tank; a-submerged'gas burner in thefbottom of the tank;an air compressor connected tosthe burner tosupply combustion supportingair` thereto; Va gas driven turbine connectedto drive saidairicompressor; an outlet flue for thefproducts oi combustion connectedto said tank deliveringue gastherefrom and connected to drive said`turbine; a. heat exchangerv through which the products .of combustionare passed to raise their temperature for driving-saidfturbine: avertical economizer tank connected to supply feed Water -to the heatingtank; a feed Water supply pipe connected to the economizer tank havingal sprayfhead-in the upper portion thereof an exhaust conduit from saidgas driven turbine connected to said economizer tank to dischargeexhaust gas in direct contact with the sprays of feed Water; and anoutlet flue connected to the upper end of the economizer tank.

2. A water heating system of the character described, comprising incombination, a Water heating tank; a conduit connected to supply Waterunder pressure to the tank; a discharge conduit connected to the bottomportion of the tank;

means for maintaining a Water level in the bottom portion of the tank; asubmerged gas burner in the tank; an air compressor connected to theburner; to supply combustion supporting air thereto; a gas driventurbine connected to drive saidfair` compressor; and an outlet flueconnected to vsaidtankdelivering ue gas therefrom and connected 'todrive said turbine; a heater connectedito the outlet flue to increasethe temperature of the flue gas; and an economizer utilizing theeheat inthe exhaust gas .from said turbine connected to deliver pre-heated waterto said supply-conduit -leading to said heating-tank.

3. A Water "heating system of the character described, comprising incombination, a. water heating tank; a conduit connected to -supply Waterunder pressure to `the tank; a discharge conduitconnected to the `bottom-portion of the tankymeansfor maintaining .a Water level in the bottomportion -oi the tank; a submerged vgas burnerin vthe tank; anairvcom'pressor connected to -the burner to supply combustion.supportingair thereto; a gas driven turbine connected `to drive saidair compressor; an outlet flue connected `to said tank delivering .iuegas therefrom and connected to drive said turbine; a gas-red re-heaterconnected totheoutlet flue to raise the temperatureof -ithe fluegas; andan economizer utilizing'wastehea-tin the flue 4gas from the re-heaterand the exhaust gas from said turbine connectedV -to -deliver pre-heatedwater to lsaid conduit leading tosaidheating tank.

ERNEST B. MILLER.

References Cited inthe file of this patent `UNITEDV STATES PATENTSNumber Name Date '594,858 Christopher Dec. 7 1897 Y 872,806 deFerrantiDec. 3, 1907 l1,230,417 Lillie June 9, 191'?` 2,032,368 Kerr Mar. 3,1936 2,115,338.` Lysholm Apr. 26, '1938 2,184,845, Noack Dec. 26, 19392,233;675 Narten Mar. 4, 1941

